Part paranormal mystery, part natural history, part adventure memoir, this book should be your book of the summer!

Notable Canadian explorer Adam Shoalts, while doing some research about a mysterious creature that haunted a town in central Labrador in the early 1900s. Not too interesting, as mysterious creatures have haunted unknown lands since the dawn of human exploration--until he found corroborating reports from multiple sources! The mystery had his hook in him, and along with a high school acquaintance, he set off into Labrador the following week, in the late fall no less, to see if he could find the “Traverspine Gorilla”. 

Starting in Happy-Valley Goose Bay, they start by canoe, first attempting to find the town of the sightings itself. Town found, they followed the river up to the Mealy Mountains (I had no idea Labrador had mountains but do yourself a favour and look at them because they are GORGEOUS and I say that coming from BC), because if a mysterious creature *did* exist, it would probably live in the caves of mountains that have a history of ominous names by First Nations, and that are nearly impossible to get to. 

Adam and his friend Zach struggle to pass up streams choked with alder, through spruce forests dense and dark, and over wet, squishy marshes, to eventually summit a Mealy Mountain. All the while, they ponder what the creature could have been. Reported as tall, with an eerie grin, walking on two or four legs, with cloved prints, and large enough to scare even sled dogs, it was a total mystery. Adam discusses the local natural and human history of Labrador, but also the many eerie creatures of the Canadian spruce forests, from unnamed beasts to Loup-garou and the terrifying Wendigo.

I won’t tell you how it ends, but I’ll tell you I was thrilled. You’ll have to give it a read or listen yourself, and let me know what you think!